Honeymoon on Lake Michigan
| Artist | Robert Barnes (American, b. 1934) |
|---|---|
| Title | Honeymoon on Lake Michigan |
| Series | The Dil Pickle Club |
| Date | July 12, 2012 |
| Medium | Pastel and casein on paper |
| Dimensions | Image: 16 1/2 × 20 1/2 in. (41.9 × 52.1 cm) Sheet: 22 3/16 × 29 7/8 in. (56.4 × 75.9 cm) Framed: 28 × 32 × 1 1/2 in. (71.1 × 81.3 × 3.8 cm) |
| Credit Line | Museum purchase with funds from Estate of Herman B Wells via the Joseph Granville and Anna Bernice Wells Memorial Fund, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 2012.42 |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
This colorful image depicts a man and a woman in a boat on turbulant waters in the lower left center. Other figures in silhouette are seen on a bridge in the upper left. Ghost-like forms appears in the waves in the lower right center.
Robert Barnes taught in IU’s fine arts department for thirty-five years before retiring in 1999. Although residing primarily in Bloomington, Indiana; Umbria, Italy; and Searsport, Maine, he is loosely associated with the Chicago Imagists because of his training at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, his figurative subjects, and representation by major Chicago art dealers. Nonetheless, this piece is from one of his few series to address a specifically Chicago theme.
This image recalls the true story of the doomed honeymoon of John "Jack" Jones, the Dil Pickle Club's founder. He'd built a smal boat, and when he married his young girlfriend he decided to take her out on Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, he did not heed the warnings of his comrades on the bridge in the upper-left-hand corner, and the boat sank. While both tried to swim to shore, only Jones made it. This scene depicts the moment just prior to the tragedy with the spirits of those lost at sea coming up from the depths to claim his bride. Jones was blamed for killing her, but ultimately he was exonderated.
| Series Title | The Dil Pickle Club |
|---|
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Honeymoon on Lake Michigan | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=2012.42